A couple of weeks ago I phoned Jobcentre Plus to inform them that although I had returned to work at the beginning of January as expected, my depression had returned and I was now off work again as a result. This is how it went (and yes, as if by magic, they answered the phone first time - when I originally applied for Employment and Support Allowance they never answered the phone at all):
You went back to work in January, but you are informing us at the end of February, Mr Marsden?
Not the 'Oh, well done for going going back to work after your serious illness and I'm sorry that it hasn't worked out for you this time' kind of supportive response I wasn't expecting.
Yes.
Why didn't you tell us in January that you went back to work?
I could almost hear the cogs in motion.
Erm, well, I did tell you in my original application for Employment and Support Allowance that I was expecting to return to work in January and I didn't receive notification from you that I would receive any benefits at all until 21 January. I didn't get paid until mid-February and I wasn't sure that I would be able to sustain my return to work, having been off for so long, which turns out to be the case. It's all been very stressful. Also, I needed to pay my rent, buy food to eat and keep warm during the cold weather, as I don't want to get another chest infection and go through the same problems I had with my lung last year again.
Mr Marsden, I'm looking at your account. We paid you up until the end of December but we haven't paid you anything since. You haven't sent us any more medical certificates since then. Do you want to start a new claim?
Oh, right. I didn't realise I had to keep sending in medical certificates, although that seems fair enough. I don't think it says that anywhere in the letters I received. I guess I just assumed that you would keep paying until I notified you of a change in my circumstances, like for Housing Benefit. Well, I have medical certificates from January saying I'm fit to work two days a week and I'm going to see my GP to get signed off again. Hmm.... So I'm not late in notifying you that I returned to work after all? That's a relief. Do I really have to start a new claim and fill out that fifty-seven page form again?
Yes, although as we have your information already it's only twenty-seven pages this time (I could have heard that wrong. My mind was glazing over. Form-filling does that to me.). Or we could carry over your claim, which would be easier. What other benefits are you receiving and how much did you earn for January?
I took home just over £1,000 as I didn't pay any tax or NICs because I've been off for so long. I get Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
OK, in that case I'll send you a PW1 form for you to fill in.
Wait. A PW1? That's a Permitted Work form, right?
Yes.
I have a Permitted Work form, no need to send me one. That's what I do as part of my job, when I'm working.
OK, well just fill that in and send it back to us with your medical certificates.
OK, thanks.
What she didn't tell me on the phone and I only worked out in my head afterwards, is that if I follow her advice I will be financially much worse off than if I fill in the twenty-seven page form again effectively starting a new/carry-over claim. Permitted Work means that you can keep only £20 pounds out of any weekly income earned if you are also receiving Housing Benefit.
Who's defrauding who?